Brandon Maxwell has had it. Holding forth under the Lone Star State flag in his office two days before his New York Fashion Week show, dressed in shorts, Nikes and a Piggly Wiggly T-shirt, he’s on a rant: “I’m so bored with reading articles about whether New York matters. Look at Tom Ford — that was the most gorgeous show. Have you ever seen a Jason Wu dress up close? It takes your breath away. Alex Wang, he makes clothes flawlessly. There are incredibly talented people here — seamstresses, patternmakers, assistants, my former intern Claudia Li, who is killing it. Oh yeah, New York matters, we’re out here doing the damn thing!”
Maxwell, 34, is in a good position to throw a little ‘tude. His business is enjoying double-digit, year-over-year growth; he’s looking for investors to help him expand and “speak to a wider audience,” is a finalist for the International Woolmark Prize, and has a new role on Bravo’s reboot of “Project Runway,” debuting March 14, that could lead him down a similar path to pop culture fame and fortune as his idol, Michael Kors.
“I hope it doesn’t become too much of a distraction,” quips Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken